MY (SISSY) Simeonette Mapes

Posted on August 19 2014

ABOUT HER MURDER

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Jonathan Crupi was in constant motion, but didn't get much done, in the hours before he returned to his New Springville home one day last summer and found his school teacher wife dead on the floor, according to statements he allegedly gave police.

Crupi, who is accused of murdering Simeonette Mapes-Crupi on July 5, ventured to Brooklyn, where he searched unsuccessfully for a discount theater-ticket outlet, retrieved books for his spouse at the high school where they taught, had his car inspected, shoe-shopped at five stores without buying anything and texted his wife twice without getting a response, according to recently filed court documents.

After an aborted attempt to reach his spouse by phone, Crupi, 30, then ventured to the Home Depot in Charleston intending to buy paint, but never exited his car in the parking lot. Instead, he drove home, where nearly six-and-a-half hours after departing, he discovered his wife's lifeless body on the kitchen floor, court records said.

But before stepping outside to call police, Crupi said he cleaned up the excrement his dogs had deposited on the floor, said court papers.

CRUCIAL TO THE CASE

The narratives provide a detailed accounting of Crupi's version of his actions on the day he said he found his spouse dead. They are expected to play a pivotal role in the case.

The substance of the interrogations, which occurred both outside Crupi's Forest Hill Road home and at the 122nd Precinct station in New Dorp, are contained in police reports that prosecutors recently provided the court and the defense.

"Our investigators have investigated and have corroborated his location the morning of the incident," Crupi's lawyer, Mario F. Gallucci, said.

A spokesman for District Attorney Daniel Donovan declined comment on the recent court filings.

Prosecutors allege Crupi stabbed his 29-year-old wife "repeatedly about the body" sometime between 8:30 p.m. July 4 and 2 p.m. July 5.

Cops found the victim's body, face down inside the couple's condominium at 1446 Forest Hill Rd., shortly before what would have been their fifth wedding anniversary.

CHARGED MONTHS LATER

Crupi was arrested in November and indicted on charges of second-degree murder and criminal weapon possession. He has denied the allegations, and authorities have not provided a motive.

His case is pending in state Supreme Court, St. George, where he is slated to return for a Jan. 28 conference. A trial date has not been set.

According to court documents, Crupi said he awoke at 6:45 a.m. on July 5. His wife was still sleeping, he said. Before leaving about 7:30 a.m., he said he woke her and told her he was getting his car inspected.

She asked him to retrieve some books and lesson plans from school. Crupi and his wife both taught at a high school in Brooklyn, The School for Classics: An Academy for Thinkers, Writers and Performers.

She said she needed the lesson plans for the start of summer school, which she was to teach, Crupi told cops. He also said she had strep throat and was on antibiotics, said court records.

FRUITLESS SEARCHES

Crupi said he drove to Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn where he searched in vain for 20 or 30 minutes for a discount TKTS booth. He said he wanted to see the Broadway show "Wicked."

Court papers said he then drove to his high school in the East New York section and retrieved the items for his wife. He left about 10:06 a.m. and texted her that he was getting his car inspected.

Crupi told detectives he had a receipt for $11 to document the inspection, said court papers.

After the inspection, the defendant spent about an hour shopping for shoes and sneakers in five stores on Brooklyn's Pitkin Avenue, but bought nothing, said court papers.

According to Advance reports, Crupi subsequently shopped at the Finish Line athletic shoe and apparel store in the Staten Island Mall on the day after his wife's body was found.

SENDS HER A TEXT

Returning to the sequence of events on July 5, Crupi said he texted his spouse about 11:50 a.m. and said he was driving to Home Depot to "choose a paint color to rag roll with," said court papers. She did not respond to that message, he told cops. Crupi also said the Home Depot trip hadn't been planned in advance, court documents said.

His wife also did not pick up the phone when he telephoned her about 25 minutes later, said court papers.

Crupi traveled to Home Depot in Charleston but never left his car. He said he decided not to buy the paint, and after driving around for about five minutes, crossed into the Target parking lot, said court papers.

He thought about shopping for himself, but, again, decided against it and drove home, court documents state.

FINDS BODY, BUT...

On entering, about 1:50 p.m., he discovered his spouse.

Crupi told police that the house was in disarray and had been robbed. He saw that the couple's two dogs had urinated and defecated on the floor. One of the beagles was cowering in the corner, while the other was inside its crate.

He said he cleaned up the excrement, then went outside and called 911, said court records.

Crupi couldn't recall if he touched his spouse, but said he didn't try to resuscitate her because he knew she was dead, court documents said.

About 10 days after the incident, another lawyer for Crupi provided police a list of 24 items of jewelry which his client said he didn't see during a walk-through of the apartment, court papers show.

Attorney Matthew J. Santamauro told police that without disturbing the crime scene, Crupi couldn't say for certain whether the items were missing or were elsewhere in the apartment, said court records.

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ABOUT MY SISSY (SIMEONETTE MAPES)

In August 2012 this

non-profit corporation was established by family and friends in loving memory of Simeonette Mapes. To carry on her goodness and the work that she so loved to do! Helping others less fortunate while instilling the values of life's successes.

Simeonette, a Brooklyn High School Social Studies teacher tragically lost her life to violence at the young age of 29 when she was brutally murdered in her home.

Simeonette Mapes was born on September 25, 1982 to Theresa and John Mapes in Albuquerque New Mexico. Her brother, Little John, who was only two at the time of her birth couldn't pronounce Simeonette and started calling her Sissy. She was Sissy to her family and friends from then on. Because her father was in the Air Force, Sissy's family moved every three or four years finally settling in Staten Island New York.

Early in Sissy's life she decided she wanted to be a teacher. Sissy never wanted to be rich nor famous; she just had a desire to be a mentor to young adults. She worked several jobs while getting her Bachelor's degree in education from the College of Staten Island. While attending the college she worked for an organization called heart share. heart share assists individuals with autism spectrum disorders and other developmental disabilities and provides vital services to children and families. This is where Sissy found her calling. Once she completed her Bachelors degree she was hired by the New York City Board of Education as a high school teacher in one of Brooklyn's economically disadvantage areas to teach social studies. In June 2012 Sissy earned her Masters Degree in Education.

Sissy loved her job. It was more than just a job to her, it was her passion. She volunteered as a dance coordinator for the high school's talent show. She held an after school workshop she called "Girl's Leadership Class" where she instilled a since of pride and confidence into her female students. These were just two of the many programs she started. Sissy had a way of communicating to her students. She reached them by putting things in perspective. This is how she was able to have her students achieve the highest social studies test scores ever attained by her school. The scores were so high that her students had to take a retest given by another faculty member just to confirm that there wasn't any cheating involved. Needless to say Sissy's students scored as well or even better than the first test.

During the Christmas of 2011 Sissy was told that several of the students were not going to have any gifts to open on Christmas day. Sissy felt so bad that she told her mother about it and between the two of them they were able to collect enough gifts for every student in the school. These were not expensive gifts by any means. The gifts were slinkies, silly putty, small stuffed animals and other inexpensive items. The students couldn't believe that someone cared and loved them enough to do this that they got together and presented and signed a huge Christmas card to Sissy. Only this card wasn't for Sissy, it was for the "Parents of Ms. Mapes". It said: To the parents of Ms. Mapes, you must be terrific parents because you raised a beautiful daughter. We love Ms. Mapes and you too." The parents of Sissy still have that card today. During Sissy's funeral these same students told Theresa Mapes that they still have the gifts that Sissy gave them.

Sissy wasn't finished with her work on earth just yet. Her last act of kindness and goodwill to her students was the "Fairy Godmother Project". Sissy found out that several of her female students were not going to their prom because they couldn't afford a prom dress and the other expenses that go with a prom. So Sissy got some of her friends and other caring people to donate nearly new dresses appropriate for a prom, artist for all the make-up and hair dressings needed and she herself paid for a few of the prom tickets so they could go to the prom. Just like Cinderella.

Sissy was loved by everyone she met. She was one of those people that you want to be around. She loved to dance. She loved animals .She always said that she wanted to live in Disney World .Her favorite place in this world . She loved her friends but she loved her family more. Her mother Theresa and her were best friends and insuperable and so was her brother Little John.. She adored her father and she loved GOD. Sissy was very spiritual.

On July 5th 2012 Sissy went to heaven. Someone once said that evil killed her but Jesus took her home.